BIOGRAPHY

Benjamin is an Australian-born conductor mentored in conducting by Dr Philip Matthias at the University of Newcastle. He graduated on the Faculty Commendation List, also studying violin under Susan Collins. Benjamin has conducted the Tallis Scholars and the Pacific Boy choir (double Grammy award-winning), orchestrated and conducted a film score for Daniel Johns, co-composed the original score for ‘Lords of the Soil’ with Adam Alexander, performed with Guy Sebastian and The Idea of North and recently won four gold medals in 12th and 13th World Choir Games. He conducted a concert at Government House, Tasmania, hosted by Her Excellency the Honourable Barbara Baker AC on her first official occasion in office.

In 2019 Benjamin founded Newcastle Chamber Choir, five time winners of the Sydney Eisteddfod Open Choral Championship and four time winners of the Australian National Eisteddfod Open Choral Championships. He has been a guest conductor for the Newcastle University Orchestra, spent two seasons as guest Artistic Director and conductor for Newcastle Youth Orchestra and has served as Musical Director for various shows and musicals. Benjamin has played on multiple ARIA award winning albums and his compositions and performances have won international competitions.

Benjamin has led musical groups on eleven international tours, performing at The Great Wall of China, The Forbidden City, Lincoln Centre for the Performing Arts, the deck of Aircraft carrier USS INTREPID (New York), Saimdang Hall (South Korea), Disneyland (California) and DisneyWorld (Florida), Auckland Town Hall (Aotearoa, New Zealand) and conducted mass at St Mary’s Cathedral (Sydney).

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  • Conductor and Orchestrator, contributed original composition to small parts of the film.

    From the mind of Daniel Johns

    To be released November 2025.

    • Won two gold medals at the 13th World Choir Games in Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand (Mixed Chamber Choir and Contemporary Vocal Ensemble)

    • Won two gold medals at the 12th World Choir Games in Gangneung, South Korea 2023 (Mixed Chamber Choir and Contemporary Vocal Ensemble)

    • Winners of the 2019, 2021 & 2022, 2023, 2025 Sydney Eisteddfod Open Choral Championships

    • Winners of the 2019 Australian National Eisteddfod Open Choral Challenge

    • Toured to Tasmania for the Festival of Voices 2021. Performed at Government House for her Excellency the Honorable Governor Barbara Baker. Also held concerts at Hobart Town Hall, Federation Concert Hall, MONA, St David’s Cathedral and Port Arthur

  • Conducting from 2012-2018

    • Artists conducted or collaborated with include: Guy Sebastian on his Conscious tour, Tallis Scholars, Double Grammy Award-winning Pacific Boys Choir, The Idea Of North & The Canadian Ambassador Choir

    • Competed in the XVIII International Choral Kathaumixw in Canada. Won 1st place in Adult Equal Voice Choir and 2nd in Chamber Choir (2018)

    • Conducted Dr Philip Matthias’s Festive Mass at St Mary’s Catholic Cathedral Sydney

    • Conducted and recorded a CD of works composed by Ruth McCall (of The Song Company)

    • Conducted on international tours to North America, Bermuda, England, Italy, Switzerland and Canada

    • Composed works for choir and orchestra by commission for the University of Newcastle.

    • Led a tour to Brisbane, Sydney and Townsville for the Festival of the Light

    • Conducted at the Australia Day Citizenship Ceremony at Town Hall, Newcastle

    • Conducted Britten’s Ceremony of Carols featuring harpist Miriam Lawson (Sydney Symphony) at Sacred Heart Cathedral, Newcastle (2013)

    • Daniel Johns’ ‘FutureNever’ album
      (Debuted at #1 on the ARIA Albums Chart,
      Won the 2022 ARIA Award for Best Solo Artist and was the highest-selling album by an Australian artist in 2022)

    • Superstars, with Dan Wilson - ft. Marina Prior, Silvie Paladino, Joshua Robson, and Chloé Zuel

    • Tenzin Choegyal (Grammy-award nominated), ‘BE THE MOUNTAIN’ tour

    • The Conductor and the Clown (George Ellis Orchestra)

    • Chess the Musical – The Very Popular Theatre Company ft. Silvie Paladino and David Harris

    • Les Misérables – Metropolitan Players

    • Wicked – Metropolitan Players

    • Jesus Christ Super Star – National Theatre Company

    • Phantom of the Opera – National Theatre Company

    • Into the Woods — PantSeat Productions

    • Evita – National Theatre Company

    • Star Struck (DET), with Daniel Wilson

  • Drum Major (Conductor) for tours to China and the USA. Conducted ~120 students in the following performances:

    • On the deck of aircraft carrier USS INTREPID

    • Led ‘Main Street’ parades in Disneyland (California) and DisneyWorld (Florida)

    • The Washington Monument after privately meeting and performing for President Obama’s ‘President’s Own’ Band Directors and Conductors

    • Lincoln Centre for the Performing Arts

    • The Great Wall of China and in the Forbidden City

    • Sydney Football Stadium (West Tigers vs St George Dragons, 35000+ in attendance)

    • The Royal Easter Show Sydney

    • Sydney Anzac Day Parade (once leading the parade)

    • Newcastle Stadium (Jets soccer game)

    • Co-composer for Lords of the Soil, in conjunction with Adam Alexander of Bamm Bamm Wolfgang

    • Composer for Messiah Re-Imagined (Angel Place Sydney, 2019)

    • Works comissioned by Echology (University of Newcastle Chamber Choir)

    • Works comissioned by Newcastle Chamber Choir

    • Commisioned by Starstruck (NSW, Department of Education, DET)

    • Works commissioned by The University of Newcastle

    • Composed work for Jacob Neale, of the Jacob Neale Jazz Awards

    • Benjamin’s choral compositions and arrangements have won international and national competitions:

      • World Choir Games 2023 and 2024

      • XVIII International Choral Kathaumixw (Canada, 2018)

      • Australian National Eisteddfods &
        Sydney Eisteddfods

    • Star Struck (2014-present): ~30 works for a 50+ piece ‘film-style’ orchestra

    • Echology: Orchestral Pops concerts, Classical Orchestral concerts & Orchestral Christmas concerts

    • Frank Milward’s ‘The Spider and the Fly’, multi-movement work (Head of Creative Industries UoN)

    • Orchestra Newcastle: Multiple works in collaboration with their Artistic Director Christopher Bearman (OAM)

    • Various works for Richard Vella (Head of Music Newcastle Conservatorium).

    • Hunter School of the Performing Arts: Significant amount of orchestrations and arrangements for various groups

    • Works by Guy Sebastian for his ‘Conscious’ tour

    • “Life Story”: transcriptions of recordings made for Dr. Sue Carson’s major creative work for her Doctor of Philosophy in Music titled: “Sensational Synthesis: An investigation of the art of the female professional singer's performance of multiple vocal genres"

    • Australian Indigenous (Bundjalung, Gunganji, Guugu Yimidhirr, Eastern Kuku, Yalanji, Tjapukai, Western Kuku Talanji, Ngajakula), Torres Straight, Maori, Papua New Guinean, Melanesian and Polynesian music, in association with Dr James Wafer (linguistic anthropologist)

    • Rubina Kimiia (Publishing Songs of AustraNesiA, and Women of AustraNesiA with government grant funding)

    • University of Newcastle: Orchestra Newcastle, Vocal Company, Brainwaves

    • Libretto for ‘Cook’ the Musical (Hudson & Higginbotham)

    • Works by Paul Stanhope & Ruth McCall 13th and 14th World Choir Games in Gangneung, South Korea and Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand

    • The epic ‘Familiarity’ by the Punch Brothers for a recital featuring Dr. Sue Carson


    • Conducted the double Grammy Award winning Pacific Boys Choir in concert (Rachmaninoff Vespers, 2016)

    • Preparatory conductor for the Tallis Scholars’ “Spem in Alium” (Australian Tour, 2016)

    • Conducted on Guy Sebastian’s “Conscious” Tour, 2017

    • Conducted on international tours to North America, Bermuda, England, Italy, Switzerland, France, Republic of South Korea, Aotearoa New Zealand, China and Canada

    • Conducted on the deck of the aircraft carrier “USS INTREPID”

    • Conducted Dr Philip Matthias’s Festive Mass at St Mary’s Catholic Cathedral Sydney

    • Associate Conductor for the UoN-hosted International ‘Space Time Concerto’ Competition

    • Associate Conductor - Orchestra Newcastle with Artistic Director Christopher Bearman (OAM)

    • Guest Artistic Director and Conductor - Newcastle Youth Orchestra (2024-2025)

    • Christ Church Cathedral Choir

    • Musical Director - Blood Brothers, Newcastle Theatre Company (2017)

    • Hunter School of Performing Arts (String Orchestra, Junior, Intermediate and Senior Choirs)

    • Newcastle Waldorf Steiner School String Orchestra

    • Sea Chronicles, a Song Cycle by Paul Stanhope with cellist Anthea Scott-Mitchell and soprano Grace Leonard

    • Conducted at The Washington Monument after privately meeting and performing for President Obama’s ‘President’s Own’ Band Directors and Conductors